pages

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Versailles

Yesterday I lost my favorite Parisian "drugstore" glasses.

Yesterday I left the apartment at 10 AM and got back at 11 PM and didn't get to post. Yesterday I was going to go to the Marche d'Aligre and the Salon du Chocolat.Instead I went to Musee Nissim de Camondo and Versailles

Musee Nissim de Camondo is a treasure house of fabulous antiques and not crowded. I loved the illustrated guide

Truly wonderful objets

Reflections in a car window

I'm enthralled with decorative door mantles/cartouches in the 8th enroute to the Metro to Versailles

I didn't get to Versailles till 3 PM when the crowds are supposed to be considerable less

The wait to buy a ticket was only 15 minutes. The guichet at the RER was ferme/closed. The machine would not take my credit card-no chip

The famed Hall of Mirrors

The contrast of Jeff Koon's shiny metalic sculptures in this environment is spectacular

The views out the windows - entrancing

I took the RER back and got off at Pont d'Alma to go to my sister's for dinner. After crossing the bridge and taking the obligatory photo of the Eiffel Tower I dropped my fav Fr drugstore glasses. I bought them in Paris 4 years ago

1st stop Patisserie Carette at Trocadero to get revived. Then I realized the glasses were gone - total blur like this shot

My chocolat chaud was terrific. I couldn't read the menu or the bill. Maybe a good thing

An extraordinary fleurist near my sister's. I crossed the street and bought new glasses in the pharmacie, so I could see and take pictures. My sister suggested we go to a different restaurant than planned. We would take the Metro to Pont d'Alma

We got out and guess what? I saw something shiny on the ground where I'd taken the earlier photo. My lost GLASSES! Now I have 2 pair of drugstore glasses.

Scrumptiliumptious! Ahh, kismit on the specs... love the architecture , the greys and ivoires of the stones and in the drawings. I can see them making their way into the paintings...sigh, how wonderful to walk those streets.

Yesterday...My mother-in-law came back from visiting our beach house in Northern Florida, where there is a french bakery/cafe'. She was supposed to bring me espresso macarons (my favorite!), but instead brought back what amounts to chocolate sugar cookies. Amateur. Je pourrais juste pleurer!I am deeply traumatized and will be moping for the rest of the week, thank you!Have some for me love :p)Cake BunnyOh, you are lucky to have found your glasses...buy a lottery ticket!

Sounds like a marvelous day. I enjoyed every second of your dashing around. Glad you found your glasses and now have a spare! Must be a good omen. You took me right back to Versailles...looks beautiful--I love that photo of the child at the window.

We love the Camando--it seems as if the family just walked out, no?I can't believe you have French drugstore glasses--they are the best--way better than in the US. We always buy new pairs when we get to Paris.

OMG!!! Is that why I kept gobbling caramel macarons and that confiture stuff at the salon de\u chcoolat today. My teeth yelled at me to run, but I did taste one taffy and bought 2 pots of the caramel confiture stuff :(It's all your fault Sophia!!!!

Isn't that just the best place, Camondo? We lived quite near and my son went to school at Ecole Bilingue, just on the edge of Parc Monceau (another heavenly spot to people watch and read..check out the fountain & statuary in the corner near Blvd. Malsherbes entrance) so I was there often. If you haven't been you should also see the Musee Guimet --you are making me quite homesick! And aaah, that gray weather, those Fall days when you rush into a cafe to warm up and it is all steamy and cozy inside...profitez bien...(by the way, Obama gave a fantastic 30 minute speech last night, just fyi).

I just had to tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts every morning when I come in to a very stressful job. I feel relaxed the minute I finish reading them and looking at your beautiful pictures. Thanks so much.

Your blog is a daily jewel that I look forward to opening to remind me of Mon Paris. I am so glad you went to Nissim de Camondo. I went there 2 years ago and was struck by the beauty and the sadness. Nissim was killed in WW1 and his sister and her family were wiped out in a Nazi concentration camp. There is a tiny plaque that says this in the museum.

I love your paintings and when I get a job, I hope to start collecting them.

Carol, you brought back some memories, the hall of mirrors. It was august and scorching hot but it was packed and they got us in a line and we had to keep moving so missed a lot as would have loved to get closer.Jeff Koons dog looked fantastic.

when we were in Paris, my friend maryann johanson (www.flickfilosopher.com) stopped on the Champs Elysees to check something on her computer. she laid her favorite sunglasses down, and they promptly slid off into the traffic below. allors! we must go immediately to the Monoprix and buy a new pair of the sunglasses, which we did. several months later, she loses them in Target. necessitating another pair of sunglasses -- not nearly so elegant or memory-filled, but still. she'll always have paris.

Hello..................I loved your photos today (and EVERYday) and wish I was in Paris too. After reading your blog I must tell you our story. Last year in Brussels, my husband laid down his camera lens cover on a ledge in the train station while we were waiting for the train to Brugges. On the train , we realize the lens was gone. Late, late that night, we return to Brussels, walk to where we were and VOILA !!!! the camera lens !!I was thrilled to read that you too found your lost item, your glasses.I love Paris Breakfasts and hope you have many more wonderful adventures !! I will be reading. Blessings, Abbey

Wonderful post today! I am so glad you are getting out and doing so many wonderful things and taking such gorgeous pics! Congrats on finding your glasses! Anything and everything from Paris is precious!Can't wait for more tomorrow :)

When you failed to post yesterday, I was terrified that you'd been kidnapped by one of those cults - you know the "healthy" diet people, wanting to brainwash you to reject chocolate, macarons, caramel goo in jars.....Thank heaven you're safe! Keep those architectural details coming!!!

Wait a second...The Eiffel Tower is blue? What's the significance? Beautiful pictures of Paris! By the way, I tried to find your comments in the archives about taking pictures, but couldn't find them. Do you ask first, or apologize after?

Hi Carol--My name is Karen and I live in Tallahassee, Florida but am an ardent francophile. Just wanted to share with you that on my last trip to France we were in Haute Provence near the Sisteron autoroute entrance when I got out to take some photos of these wonderful larger than life concrete sheep sculptures that were "frolicking" in the rond point just off the autoroute caisse. Well I was wearing one of my favorite scarves--this gauzy kiwi green lacy embroidered thing and it was windy so without my knowing it, it blew off and I didn't catch it being missing until many kilometers down the route. I was heartbroken but my husband was sure we'd never see it again so we went on about our day. Next day, I sneakily planned to drive past that rondpoint again on the way back from Vaison La Romaine and miracle of miracles it was laying in the gutter soaking wet like green kleenex and full of asphalt pebbles but I found it! Back at the Auberge Charembeau in Forcalquier I washed it by hand with Linen Wash (truly a miracle cleaner) and it came out good as new. I never travel now without a mini bottle of it. So glad you were able to find your glasses on your return and I hope they were no worse for wear. Happy Halloween! I enjoy your photos and watercolors so much, keep up the good work. K

Really nice shots of the Tour Eiffel by night and the Versailles entrance !Thanks for helping me discover bits of Paris I never see... I don'tmean the afore-mentionned landmarks that you have a hard time missing,I mean the small shops and galleries commerçantes (maybe it's best Idon't try all the patisseries!).Happy Halloween, I guess, hope you enjoy your visit in Paris. Oh, andI hope to go to the Salon du Chocolat too !And that's enough exclamation points, so I'll stop now.

oh you're so lucky! I've never lost glasses til this summer, and I've been wearing them for 40 years. I lost a pair of very expensive subscription BIfocal sunglasses. Asked at the lost and found of a couple of places I had been, but they are just gone.Love your site, by the way!